1.23 - Telephone Box

MONKEY ISLAND, OCTOBER 1986 - There are several of these 'authentic' London telephone boxes located around the downtown tourist areas. A lot of cities and villages looking to cash in on their Q-factor (Q, in this case meaning quaint) have purchased these from the 'authentic' City of London, England.

How do we know they're the real McCoy? Well, the bottoms are rusting out on most of them, the paint is peeling, and the glass panels leak. (A lot of the glass was damaged in shipping, and the cost of replacement is astronomical.) They were also wired for the European phone system, so it costs an average of $1500 each to re-wire them with American fiber optics. Finally, most of the doors refuse to stay closed. As well, most native Monkey Islanders dearly love their cell phones.

In such a state, how could they be anything BUT the real thing? And, as pictured here, like children on Christmas morning, the faces of the tourists make it all worthwhile.